The global coronavirus crisis has hit the world's economies hard.
And while New Zealand appears to be containing the outbreak better than many other countries, our economy has been decimated by COVID-19 and the lockdown it caused here.
Thousands of Kiwis have lost their jobs, and many more have been asked to take pay cuts as businesses struggle to cope with the new economic landscape.
Thankfully there is a Government service available to those out of a job - Work and Income - that allows Kiwis to get the benefits and payments they're entitled to.
Below is a full breakdown of what you might be entitled to if you've recently been made redundant or lost hours due to the coronavirus crisis.
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$3k to Work
You may be able to get $3K to Work (recently merged with $3K to Christchurch) if you're on a benefit and need to move to take up a full-time job.
A
Accommodation Supplement
Accommodation Supplement is a weekly payment which helps people with their rent, board or the cost of owning a home.
Advance Payment of Benefit
An Advance Payment of Benefit is a one-off payment to help you pay an essential or emergency cost if you can't pay it another way.
Away from Home Allowance
Away from Home Allowance is a weekly payment which helps carers with the living costs for 16 or 17 year olds who are living away from home while on a tertiary or training course. We pay the allowance to the carer of the young person.
B
Business Training and Advice Grant
If you're starting your own business, we may be able to help with developing a business plan, training in business skills, advice and project reports.
C
Child Disability Allowance
Child Disability Allowance is a fortnightly payment made to the main carer of a child or young person with a serious disability. It is paid in recognition of the extra care and attention needed for that child.
Childcare Subsidy
Childcare Subsidy is a payment that helps families with the cost of pre-school childcare.
Christchurch mosques attack payment
If you can't earn enough income to pay for the things you and your family need, and you're affected by the attacks, we may be able to help.
Civil Defence payment
If you and your family are affected by an emergency event, you may be able to get a Civil Defence payment.
Civilian Amputee Assistance
Civilian Amputee Assistance helps amputees, or those born without a limb(s), with some of their costs when they need to go to an Artificial Limb Centre.
Clothing Allowance for Orphan's Benefit and Unsupported Child's Benefit
A Clothing Allowance is a weekly payment we give you if you get Orphan's Benefit or Unsupported Child's Benefit for children in your care, to help you pay for their clothing.
Common questions on the COVID-19 Essential Workers Leave Support
Answers to some common questions about how the COVID-19 Essential Workers Leave Support works.
Common questions on the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy
Answers to some common questions about how the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy for employers works.
Community Costs
Community Costs is a weekly payment which helps people in a short-term residential treatment programme meet their essential ongoing costs in the community.
Community Services Card
The Community Services Card can help you and your family with the costs of healthcare. Always carry your card to make it easy to get the benefits, like paying less on some health services and prescriptions.
COVID-19 Essential Workers Leave Support
A COVID-19 Essential Workers Leave Support is available for essential businesses to pay their employees who can't work.
COVID-19 Leave Payment
We have a Leave Payment available to support employers affected by COVID-19.
COVID-19 support for employers
We have 2 payments available to support employers affected by COVID-19; a Wage Subsidy and the Essential Workers Leave Support.
COVID-19 Wage Subsidy
We have a Wage Subsidy available to support employers affected by COVID-19
COVID-19 Wage Subsidy - Large employers
If you're a large employer (eg 100 employees), the online application form for the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy may be hard to use. You can enter your employee details into a CSV file instead.
D
Disability Allowance
Disability Allowance is a weekly payment for people who have regular, ongoing costs because of a disability, such as visits to the doctor or hospital, medicines, extra clothing or travel.
E
Early Learning Payment
The Early Learning Payment helps pay the costs of Early Childhood Education for children aged 18 months to three years who are from families enrolled in selected Family Start or Early Start Programmes.
Education and employment-related training
Education and employment-related training may be able to help with fees for some courses.
Emergency Benefit
If you can't support yourself and don't qualify for any other payment, you may be able to get the Emergency Benefit.
Emergency Maintenance Allowance
Emergency Maintenance Allowance is assistance that may be paid to sole parents who do not qualify for any other payments.
Employment Transition Grant
Employment Transition Grant is a weekly payment which helps some people who have completed a Supported Living Payment Employment Trial.
Establishment Grant
The Establishment Grant is a one-off payment to carers of someone else's child to help with the costs when a child first comes into their care, eg a bed, bedding and clothing.
Extraordinary Care Fund
If you're caring for someone else's child who shows promise in a particular area, or is experiencing difficulties, we may be able to help with an Extraordinary Care Fund grant.
F
Flexi-wage
If you need support to gain the required skills for a job, we may be able to help.
Flexi-wage for self-employment
If you want to start your own business, we may be able to provide a subsidy to help with costs while you get started.
Flexible Childcare Assistance
If you're a sole parent and you're working during times when childcare programmes are closed, eg weekends or nights, we may be able to help with childcare costs during these times.
Funeral Grant
A Funeral Grant can help with some of the funeral costs of someone who has died.
G
Guaranteed Childcare Assistance Payment
If you're under 20 and in full-time education, training or work-based learning, you may be able to get the Guaranteed Childcare Assistance Payment (GCAP) to assist with the cost of childcare
H
Home Help
If you're a parent or carer we may be able to help you with the cost of home help to complete household tasks or training in parenting skills.
I
International Custody Dispute Payment
If you're a parent who is involved in an international custody or access dispute over the care of your child or children, and you have limited financial support, we may be able to help you.
J
Jobseeker Support
Jobseeker Support is a weekly payment that helps people until they find work.
M
Mana in Mahi - Strength in Work
Take part in Mana in Mahi to get paid while you train to do a job you love.
Modification Grant
Modification Grant is a payment which helps people with disabilities pay for workplace changes or equipment that makes it easier for them to stay in or get work.
N
New Employment Transition Grant
The New Employment Transition Grant is a payment which helps people who are no longer on a benefit and who can't work because of sickness or a breakdown in childcare arrangements.
New Zealand Superannuation
New Zealand Superannuation is a fortnightly payment for people aged 65 and over.
O
Orphan's Benefit
Orphan's Benefit is a weekly payment which helps carers supporting a child or young person whose parents have died or can't be found, or can't look after them because they have a long-term health condition or incapacity.
Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR) Subsidy
Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR) Subsidy is a payment which helps families with the costs of before and after school care for up to 20 hours a week, and school holiday programmes for up to 50 hours a week.
R
Re-establishment grant (Special Needs Grant)
The Special Needs Grant (re-establishment grant) is a payment to help people in specific circumstances re-establish themselves in the community.
Recoverable Assistance Payment
A Recoverable Assistance Payment is a one-off payment to help you pay an essential or emergency cost if you can't pay it another way.
Residential Care Loan
If you're going into residential care and want to keep your home for a while, you may not be able to pay for the cost of your care. You may be able to get a Residential Care Loan to help pay for this.
Residential Care Subsidy
If you need long-term residential care in a hospital or rest home, you may be able to get a Residential Care Subsidy from the Ministry of Health.
Residential Support Subsidy
Residential Support Subsidy is a payment that helps with the cost of residential support for a person with a physical, sensory, intellectual, psychiatric disability (including drug and alcohol rehabilitation) or disabling chronic health condition who needs residential care as a result.
Rural Assistance Payments
Rural Assistance Payments can help farmers during or after an adverse event, eg. a flood or drought.
S
School and Year Start-up Payment
If you're caring for someone else's child and need help with pre-school or school-related costs at the beginning of the year, you may be able to get the School and Year Start-up Payment.
Seasonal Work Assistance
Assistance for seasonal workers who are no longer getting a benefit and have lost wages because of work missed due to bad weather.
Self-employment start up payment
If you're starting a business and need help with essential start up costs, eg furniture or the first lot of stock, we may be able to help.
Social Rehabilitation Assistance
Social Rehabilitation Assistance is a payment which helps people who are in a residential social rehabilitation programme and their benefit isn't enough to meet the fees.
Sole Parent Support
Sole Parent Support is a weekly payment that helps single parents find part-time work or get ready for future work.
Sole Parent Support- help with study costs
If you get Sole Parent Support and are studying at tertiary level 4 or above, we may be able to help you with your study costs.
Special Disability Allowance
Special Disability Allowance is a weekly payment for people who have a spouse or partner who is in residential care, or has been in a public hospital for over 13 weeks. It's paid to the spouse or partner who is not in care to help with the extra costs of having their spouse or partner in care.
Special Needs Grant
A Special Needs Grant is a one-off payment to help you pay an essential or emergency cost if you can't pay it another way.
Steps to Freedom Grant
If you've been released from prison, we may be able to help you get set up in the community with a 'Steps to Freedom' grant.
Supported Living Payment
Supported Living Payment is a weekly payment to help you if you have, or are caring for someone with, a health condition, injury or disability.
T
Temporary Additional Support
Temporary Additional Support is a weekly payment that helps you when you don't have enough money to cover your essential living costs.
Transition to Work Grant
We may be able to pay for things you need to find or start a job, such as clothes, travel, living expenses until your first pay and other things.
U
Unsupported Child's Benefit
Unsupported Child's Benefit is a weekly payment which helps carers supporting a child or young person whose parents can't care for them because of a family breakdown.
V
Veteran's Pension
Veteran's Pension is a fortnightly payment for veterans who have qualifying operational service in the New Zealand Armed Forces.
W
Winter Energy Payment
The Winter Energy Payment is an extra payment to help with the cost of heating your home over the winter months.
Work Bonus
If you're on a benefit and choose to work even though you don't have work obligations, you may be able to get a Work Bonus.
Working for Families
Working for Families is help from Work and Income and Inland Revenue (IR) to make it easier to work and raise a family.
Y
Young Parent Payment
Young Parent Payment helps young parents aged 16-19 year olds.
Youth Payment
Youth Payment helps young people aged 16 or 17 who can't live with their parents or guardian and aren't supported by them or anyone else.
